


An Ocean Away

by avesnongrata



Series: Maria/Natasha Ficlet Collection [5]
Category: Black Widow (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/F, Long-Distance Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-17
Updated: 2014-08-17
Packaged: 2018-02-13 12:25:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2150622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avesnongrata/pseuds/avesnongrata
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They knew from the start that their relationship would be mostly long-distance, and wishing it was otherwise doesn't do either of them any good.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Ocean Away

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Woodface](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Woodface/gifts).



Maria Hill presses the heel of her hand into her eye and suppresses a yawn. It’s the third night in a row she’s had to work this late into the night, and the lack of sleep is starting to take its toll. She’s about to log off of her computer when the screen flashes, catching her attention. It’s an incoming video call; she clicks accept with a grin.

“What are you still doing up?” Natasha Romanoff’s voice scolds before the video fully resolves. The S.H.I.E.L.D. network really should have a better quality connection, but that’s reserved for conference rooms and other places that need to look impressive. Maria’s personal laptop is apparently not one of those places. Still, it’s better than nothing.

“Working,” Maria answers simply. She’s momentarily distracted as the video on her screen catches up to the audio. Natasha’s face fills the screen for a moment, her brow furrowed in concentration as she hits a few keys on her laptop. Apparently satisfied, she leans back in her chair. She’s clearly just woken up: her hair is piled on top of her head, looking just as disheveled as the plain white tank top she usually sleeps in. Even without any makeup on, she’s still incredibly attractive, and Maria can’t help but stare for a second.

Natasha notices and smirks, propping her feet up on the desk in front of her. “Again? It’s what, 2:30 in the morning where you are?”

“What can I say? I have no life outside of this place.” Maria gives her a wry, tired smile. She can see the dark circles under her own eyes in her video feed, but she ignores them, choosing instead to study the details of Natasha’s feed. There’s nothing of note in the room behind her, except for a framed vintage movie poster on the far wall. There’s a different poster in each of her safe houses around the world, serving as a visual clue as to her location, a code Maria already knows by heart. This one is an old _Casablanca_ poster. Maria raises an eyebrow. “Why are you in Morocco?”

“Working.” She takes a sip from the coffee mug she’s been cradling in her lap. Typical Natasha; always cryptic.

“How long will you be there?” Maria hopes it won’t be too long. It’s been three months since the two of them were last in the same place at the same time, and they’ve been some of the longest months of Maria’s life.

“Not long. I’m catching a flight to Cape Town in a few hours.” Natasha’s expression is apologetic. It’s reassuring to know that she is as frustrated by the distance between them as Maria is.

They knew from the start that their relationship would be mostly long-distance, and wishing it was otherwise doesn’t do either of them any good. Even so, Maria wants to ask how long it will be before she will return to New York. She wants to offer to send a jet to pick her up and bring her back. She wants to get on a flight herself and meet her in Cape Town as a surprise. But as much as she wants to, that just isn’t how things are between them. Instead, Maria just settles for saying, “Be safe, okay?”

“I will. Get some sleep.”

“I’ll try.” As much as she loves getting to talk to Natasha before bed, it always makes it hard for her to sleep.

Natasha gives her a small, affectionate smile. “Sleep well, Hill. I’ll be home soon.”


End file.
